N&W in 1903 -- Strange Accident

[NW Mailing List]

As a follow-up to Gary Rolih's information about the N&W's 1903 commuter service on the Scioto Division, apparently the N&W was into another commuter operation long before it inherited the Wabash's Orland Park commuter service in the Chicago area.

According to an article and picture from the December 31, 1940, Roanoke Times given to me by Harry Bundy, the N&W operated two commuter trains between Roanoke and the "Radford powder plant," which was the Radford Ordinance Works of the Hercules Powder Co.   The 1940 N&W Annual Report mentions the construction of this plant and states that it would employ 3,500 to 4,500 persons.

According to the newspaper article, the morning train for first shift workers had been put into service a week earlier, and the afternoon train for second shift workers had been put into service the day before the article appeared.  The afternoon train (and presumably the morning train also) made intermediate stops at Salem, Elliston and Shawsville.

This was no small operation.  The article mentions ten coaches on the "special" trains and states that 807 people rode the morning train.  Harry tells me that another article in the same paper showed the congested parking lot at the Salem station caused by the commuters.  The coaches carried signs stating that they were for accommodation of the  employees of the powder plant only.

I had heard that the N&W hauled workers to the Radford powder plant during World War II, but this is the only account of it that I remember seeing.  Inasmuch as the Radford powder plant made propellants for the military, its looks as this country was gearing up for hostilities because of the turmoil in Europe almost a year before Pearl Harbor.

Gordon Hamilton
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: NW Mailing List 
  To: 'NW Mailing List' 
  Sent: Wednesday, February 20, 2008 5:08 PM
  Subject: RE: N&W in 1903 -- Strange Accident


  Gordon:  The N&W ran commuter trains in Portsmouth, basically Sciotoville to Portsmouth based on old Scioto Valley Ry schedules.   In Cincinnati, the N&W ran commuter trains from Batavia to downtown Cincinnati based on old Cincinnati & Eastern schedules that were continued through the Ohio & Northwestern and Cincinnati, Portsmouth & Virginia days.   These lasted only until about 1920-1921.

   

  Where the heck Hearon is, I couldn't tell you.

   

  Gary Rolih

  Cincinnati

   

   


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  From: nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org [mailto:nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org] On Behalf Of NW Mailing List
  Sent: Wednesday, February 20, 2008 10:34 AM
  To: N&W Mailing 1List
  Subject: N&W in 1903 -- Strange Accident

   

  N. & W. PASSENGER TRAIN IN SMASH-UP

  ------

      Portsmouth, O., Dec. 3. -- A Norfolk and Western passenger train came in collision at Hearon today with a commuter train taking a hundred people to work.  Several passengers will die and many are reported seriously injured.

   

  Bluefield Daily Telegraph

  December 4, 1903

   

  [Does anyone know where Hearon was?  What "commuter train" did the N&W operate?  Finally, I did not see any follow-up articles in the Bluefield newspaper about this accident.  Strange!]

   

  Gordon Hamilton



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